Ssrathi
Units Chameleon The Chameleon is the builder of the Ssrathi. It has very limited combat ability. It can, however, be upgraded to be very resistant to missile attacks, build faster and be able to turn invisible, useful for infiltration, avoiding or escaping enemies. Snakeman - Ssrathi Basic Infantry The Snakeman is the Ssrathi's basic infantry unit. Its outstanding points are its relatively large amount of hits, damage and slashing resistance. Like many other tier 1 units, it is somewhat weak, even in large numbers. Its price is high to compensate for its increased combat capabilities over other tier 1 units, including its poisonous attack. Snakepriest Lizard Rider Triceratops Tyrranosaurus Rex Naga Buildings Strategy Overall: The Ssrathi are one of the most effective races in Warlords Battlecry 3, particularly so given the changes in the unofficial patch 1.0324, which improved their previously undesirable hero class combinations. The Race Units: Chameleons are both decent scouts (as improved with building skills) and minefillers. Snakemen do an acceptable job of providing early defense and exploration, though they suffer against units not susceptible to poison such as machines and undead. The real strength of the Ssrathi lies in their Snakepriests and Lizard Riders. The importance of combining these two units cannot be overstated. Both are available relatively early in the battle (keep level 2 and 3, respectively), and benefit from offset resource requirements. (Snakepriests require Gold and Crystal, Lizard Riders require Metal and Stone) This allows a flood of both to be produced simultaneously. Once the Snakepriests have their range improved by building skills, they essentially become a writhing mass of self-healing siege engines capable of engaging enemy towers from a safe distance. This is important as the Ssrathi have no siege engine unit such as catapults or battering rams. They would still be vulnerable to horde attacks, however, if not supported by Lizard Riders. Lizard Riders (the fastest unit in the game) are excellent for chasing down fleeing enemy heroes, protecting a line of Snakepriests, and dismantling a base stripped of its tower defenses. There are few obstacles in the game that effectively counter a mass of Snakepriests and Lizard Riders. This is fortunate for the Ssrathi, because beyond Snakepriests and Lizard Riders, their units are somewhat disappointing. Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus Rex are both powerful, but their low speed and long build times limit their usefulness. Ssrathi flying units are equally weak, as Pterodactyls cannot engage ground targets. (though they can deal with undefended buildings efficiently) Nagas are among the worst generals in the game, though their Shield spell redeems them somewhat by improving the survivability of a group of Snakepriests and Lizard Riders. Buildings: Ssrathi buildings are some of the best in the game. By having dedicated buildings for support, melee, and ranged units, players can sustain a continuous flow of all three (Chameleons, Lizard Riders, and Snakepriests). The Couatl's Wrath spell is an effective panic button for defending your keep, should your base be overrun by an opponent. The ability of towers to poison enemy heroes that wander too close is a nice perk as well. Heroes The recommended hero/class combination for the Ssrathi is Dragonslayer (for unofficial patch 1.0324). The ability to raise the starting XP of your dinosaur units has a dramatic effect, particularly at 10XP or higher. For those playing the last official patch (1.03) consider a Lichelord or Thief to take advantage of synergies in Poison Magic and Running. Neither is particularly great, as the Poison Sphere is one of the less effective schools of magic, but a high Running score is very effective for both chasing down enemy heroes and escaping unexpected attacks. Counters The majority of Ssrathi's early units (Chameleon, Snakeman and Snakepriest) are vulnerable to Cold damage The Tier 2 Nest creature (the Pterodactyl) cannot attack ground units Hero Stats Lore